The Scream Series, Part 1: Is It Scary?
by He Who Writes His Own Canon
Summary: A masked killer begins murdering a number of small-town teenagers, and as the body count rises, Rachel Berry and her friends find themselves living what they only thought was just a movie. St. Berry, Sam/OC, St. Anderson friendship.
1. Prologue

_**A/N**_: So my _Scream_ series is back and (aside from this crappy prologue) better than ever.

* * *

It was a typical October night in Lima, Ohio, when Sugar Motta received a call that would change her life forever.

"Hello?" she said into the receiver.

"Who is this?" the caller asked.

"I'm Sugar, what's your name?" she said naïvely.

"What would you like it to be, Sugar?" the caller said seductively.

"I don't know," she giggled.

"Well, I know who I like to talk to now. I'll be sure to call you more often," the caller replied. Sugar blushed; she wasn't used to attention from boys, who avoided her due to her overtly rude personality, of which she remained completely oblivious to.

"So what are you doing tonight, Sugar?" the voice asked.

"About to play _Karaoke Revolution_," Sugar replied, sucking on a hangnail.

"You like to sing?" the voice sounded curious.

"Yeah, I'm in the Glee club at school," she boasted. "I'm the lead singer."

"I want to hear you sing, Sugar," the caller said.

"Okay, let me start a song. Here's "_I Say a Little Prayer_"." Sugar turned up the music; she always played _Karaoke Revolution_ when her parents were out.

"_The moment I wake up_

_Before I put on my makeup_

_I say a little prayer for you_

_Well, I comb my hair now_

_And wonder what dress to wear now_

_I say a little prayer for you_

_Forever, forever_

_You stay in my heart and I will love you_

_Forever and ever_

_We never will part, oh, how I'll love you_

_Together, together_

_That's how it must be to live without you_

_And only mean heartbreak for me_,"

Sugar sang rather badly; the person on the other line was actually hitting themselves with the phone to drown out the sound on the other side.

"That was lovely, Sugar," the caller said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Thanks," Sugar said, not noticing the disdain.

"I have a game for you," the voice said smoothly. "I'm going to play a recent song and I want you to guess it."

"Okay, what do I get if I answer them right?" she asked excitedly.

"A very special surprise," said the voice. "Ready? Number one," and over the phone came the first tones of "_Rumour Has It_".

"Adele's '_Rumour Has It_'."

"Correct," the voice sounded a little disappointed, but Sugar was beside herself with giggles that she didn't notice. "Hmm, this one," the next song began and Sugar snapped her fingers.

"Kelly Clarkson, '_What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger_'," she said.

"Correct," the voice grumbled and chose another. As the song began, Sugar's cheering halted.

"Are you sure this is new?" she asked.

"2010," the voice said.

"I don't know. Um, is it Kelly Clarkson?" she guessed.

"Wrong. It's "_Make Me Wanna Die_" by The Pretty Reckless, but because you got two correct, I'll give you one more." With that, the caller scanned through the iPod and pressed a song. "This is your bonus round, Sugar."

"Oh, I know this, but it's been so long," she said.

"Because I'm a nice guy, I'll give you a hint," the voice told her. "_She_ wrote the song with a boy band, the youngest of which she dated."

"Oh, um, is it…Britney Spears?"

"Demi Lovato," the voice said. "Look out the window, Sugar."

"Okay." Sugar moved towards the window as the glass back door suddenly crashed open to reveal a person in a dark robe and a ghost mask, lunging at Sugar with a butcher knife.

Sugar screamed and ran upstairs; the killer gave chase and cornered Sugar in the bathroom. Sugar collapsed on the floor, sobbing.

"Please don't kill me. My Glee club needs me," she wailed.

The killer stood up, grabbed Sugar by the ankles, and dragged her outside, which was a bit of a hassle due to her kicking and screaming, but the killer managed to drown her in the pool.

* * *

When Mr. and Mrs. Motta returned home, they found the back door smashed open and their daughter's dead body in the pool; when they went to call the police, they returned to the backyard, only to find no body at all. What the killer did leave was blood in the pool.


	2. Chapter 1

_**A/N**_: I know the first couple chapters are kind of fast and poorly-written, but please go with it.

* * *

"And so the war ended." Rachel Berry had finished her World War I report when she heard a noise at her window. She screamed and stumbled backwards but realized it was only her boyfriend, Jesse St. James, climbing through.

"Hey, Rach," Jesse said as he kissed her.

"Hey, Jesse." She kissed him back. He tried to slip his hands up her shirt, but she swatted at him until he stopped.

"Come on, babe, we never get past second base," Jesse whined, putting on his puppy dog eyes.

"And we're going to keep it that way," Rachel said teasingly as she sat down on her bed. Jesse sat down next to her and kissed her again. Someone knocked on Rachel's door and Jesse dove underneath the bed.

"Rachel, honey, you okay?" One of Rachel's fathers, Hiram, poked his head in.

"Yeah, Daddy, I'm fine," she replied.

"Well, your father and I are going on that Rosie O'Donnell cruise," Hiram said.

"Okay, love you." Rachel kissed her dad.

"See you next week, baby," Hiram kissed her back and left.

"Is he gone?" One of Rachel's teddy bears poked up from the side of the bed. Rachel giggled and helped Jesse up.

"We're gonna keep it PG-13 for now, okay?" Rachel kissed Jesse, who pouted but kissed her back.

* * *

The next morning, there were news trucks surrounding William McKinley High School, and newscasters milling about everywhere.

"The small town of Lima, Ohio was shaken last night when a McKinley High student was found dead by her parents, but her body has since disappeared," one young man with perfectly moussed brown hair reported. "No arrest has been made and the killer could strike again."

"Can you believe this shit?" Santana Lopez showed up next to Rachel.

"Santana, what's going on?" Rachel asked.

"You haven't heard?" Santana asked incredulously.

"No." Rachel raised an eyebrow.

"Sugar Motta's parents found her dead in the pool; when they went to call the cops and came back outside, the body was gone," Santana explained.

"Oh my..." Rachel gasped.

"Yeah, it's scary," Santana said. "And it's not like crazy murder spree killed, it's like that movie _Scream_. They're interrogating everybody: teachers, students, faculty."

"Wasn't Sugar the one who couldn't sing?" Rachel questioned. Santana nodded.

"This is apparently the worst crime they've since…well, you know." Santana stopped mid-sentence and finished it quietly.

* * *

Rachel sat in English class, looking at Sugar's empty seat, as Mrs. Brennan droned on about _The Catcher in the Rye_.

"Rachel?" Rachel looked up to see a hall monitor standing next to the teacher. "It appears to be your turn." Rachel grabbed her bag and headed for the principal's office.

"Who's next?" Principal Figgins asked. He sat at his desk, shuffling through papers.

"Rachel Berry, daughter of…you know," Sheriff Murphy replied.

Figgins and Deputy Smythe nodded.

"Morning, Rachel," Figgins said as Rachel walked in.

"Sheriff Murphy," Rachel nodded to the sheriff. "Hey, Seb," she said to the deputy.

"It's Deputy Smythe today, Rachel." Sebastian flushed slightly.

"How are you, Rachel?" Murphy asked.

"I'm good, thanks." Rachel smiled.

"And your fathers?" Murphy pressed.

"They're fine, we're fine, thanks." Rachel tried to keep a smile.

"Rachel, these officers just want to ask you a few questions," Figgins explained. Rachel nodded.

"Rachel, were you close with Sugar Motta?" Murphy asked. Sebastian kept a small notepad out and was scribbling as fast as his superior was talking.

"I didn't know much about her," Rachel answered. "She auditioned for Glee club, but she wasn't good enough, so she went and made her own."

* * *

"What kind of questions did they ask you, Rach?" Joel Richardson asked during free period. Rachel and Joel were sitting with Jesse, Blaine Anderson, Noah Puckerman—better known as Puck—and Santana. "Did they ask you if you swim?"

"Why would they ask that?" Blaine looked at the brunet in confusion.

"Clearly they haven't gotten to you yet, but it's because Sugar was drowned," Joel replied. "They asked me and I told them that—" he cleared his throat. "I actually can't swim. Never learned."

"What? Your parents didn't send you to the torture of swimming lessons?" Blaine asked.

"My parents were never around much," Joel muttered, looking down at his notebook.

"They didn't ask me if I swam," Santana complained.

"That's 'cause you don't look like a sporty chick," Puck teased.

"Shut it, Puckerman," Santana snapped. "The killer could be a woman. I mean, look at Catherine Tramell."

"For the record," Joel inserted, "that was an ice pick."

"Whatever, she was badass," Santana muttered.

"Hey, Puckerman, didn't you date Sugar?" Jesse quipped, nudging him with a smirk.

"I regret those two seconds of my life every day," Puck muttered, shaking his head.

"Until she dumped you because you're a loser," Joel stage-whispered.

"I thought you dumped her for me." Santana looked at Puck accusingly.

"That's because Richardson is full of shit." Puck put his arm around Santana. Joel snickered.

"Cut it out, you guys," Rachel sighed heavily and got up.

"Rachel, where are you going?" Jesse protested, moving to get up.

"Away from all of your killer talk." Rachel grabbed her bag and stalked off. Jesse, Blaine, Puck, and Santana didn't seem fazed but Joel stared after her.

"What's going on with Rachel?" Joel asked. "She somehow seems misplaced."

"You just moved here, right?" Joel nodded. "Some real scary stuff went down last year." The brunet looked up, curious. "She'd hate us for talking about it. Easier to just look it up."


	3. Chapter 2

_**A/N**_: I actually really like how this chapter turned out.

* * *

As Rachel arrived home, she lay on the living room couch and closed her eyes for a second before the phone rang; she sighed and looked at the caller ID, it read RESTRICTED.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hello, Rachel," a deep voice answered.

"Yes, who is this?" she asked.

"You tell me," the voice replied.

"How am I supposed to answer that?" she said testily. "What do you want?"

"You're very pretty, you know that?" the voice asked.

"Yes, I do. And how do you know I'm 'very pretty'?" Rachel asked.

"I've seen you at school in your reindeer sweaters," the voice said. Rachel looked down at the green reindeer sweater she was wearing.

"Why are you calling _me_? I'm sure there's some needy girl out there who will put up with this bullshit," she demanded, getting up and moving towards the stairs.

"Whoa, Rachel Berry, never heard you swear before," the voice chuckled.

"Go bother someone else," Rachel snapped, about to put the phone down.

"Hang up on me and you'll be seeing your insides," the voice snapped suddenly. Rachel froze and swallowed. "I'm not a bad guy, Rachel. I'm actually a very nice guy, I just want a girl who can put out. I heard you don't and I aim to fix that."

"What do you want from me?" Rachel asked, her voice shaking a little.

"I want to know what you're wearing," the voice purred. Rachel reached for the red emergency phone her dads put in her room. "Touch that phone and I'll rip your pretty little eyes out." Her hand hovered a few inches above the receiver. "Put your hand down and sit on the bed." She complied and cleared her throat. "Now take it off." She lunged for the phone, grabbing the phone just as a cloaked figure burst out of the hallway closet and chased out of the room. Running down the hall, she swung open a door, hitting the figure in the face and knocking them down. She headed back for her room and slammed the door, locking it.

A few minutes later, a knock came at her window. She spun around to see a flustered-looking Jesse. Still panicked, Rachel ran downstairs and pulled the front door open, where Sebastian was about to knock.

"Holy shit, Rachel, are you okay?" He stumbled backwards as she opened the door. Rachel flung herself into Sebastian's arms and started to sob. Two police officers ran upstairs to catch the killer, but found that he already disappeared. Sebastian helped Rachel out to his cruiser and placed her tenderly in the backseat. A moment before Sebastian drove off, she could see Jesse being placed into the back of another police car.

* * *

"I'm telling you, he just burst out of the closet and started to chase me until I knocked him down with a door to the face," Rachel told Sheriff Murphy and Sebastian as she sat in the police station.

"He disappeared, Sheriff. I guess he dove out the window or something," Sebastian said with a shrug. "But her boyfriend, Jesse St. James, knocked a few minutes later. We have him in custody."

"Good work, Smythe," Murphy commended. "Go get his story. And bring Paulson with you in case he gets violent." Sebastian nodded, patted Rachel on the shoulder, and left the room.

* * *

"Rachel, I swear to God I didn't do it!" Jesse shouted as he was pulled into the holding cells by Sebastian and a female officer.

"I don't understand why he would do this," Rachel told Sebastian, who nodded and handed her a Coke. "Well, the caller said something about..." She didn't finish the sentence and Sebastian didn't pry.

"Well, Rach, with your dads out of town and until the DNA results get back from the lab, you can stay with your emergency contact." Sebastian was silent for a moment. "By the way, _who_ is your emergency contact?"

* * *

"You're okay...wait, are you okay?" Santana asked, running into the station ten minutes later.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said, embracing her best friend.

"I always knew there was something off about St. James. I just didn't want to tell you since you seem so happy with him." Santana pulled away with a sorrowful look. "Anyway, you're coming with me, so let's go. Girls' night, by the way, Britt's already come over."

"Like you two haven't scissored the whole room and back," Rachel smirked.

"Oh my God!" Santana howled with laughter. "I love that I am such a bad influence on you." She shook her head.

* * *

As the two girls left the police station, Sebastian was trying to pave a way for them. "Rachel, do you think Jesse St. James did it?" a reporter asked, pushing his way to the front.

"Do you think you'll be a reporter much longer if I knock your teeth out?" Santana snapped; the reporter backed away. The reporter Rachel saw earlier elbowed his way forward.

"Rachel! Hi, Kurt Hummel, WOHN news intern; it is common knowledge that it's been almost a year since Will Schuester…" He didn't get to finish that sentence as Santana shoved him out of the way. Rachel spun around and glared at the reporters.

"None of you know anything about what really happened, especially you, intern boy. He didn't do anything wrong," she said, breathing fast.

"But you said he…" Kurt didn't get to finish that sentence either when Rachel grabbed the microphone and smacked him on the side of the head with it, making him howl in pain.

"Keep your microphone to yourself and I won't have to use it as a weapon again," Rachel snarled, Santana pulling her away.

"That was amazing!" Santana was saying.

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay, Rach?" Santana asked; the girls were sitting on the floor in Santana's room.

"Yeah, thanks, San," Rachel sighed.

"How are things with Jesse?" Brittany asked; she was a little jealous because Jesse was currently the only boy at McKinley she hadn't slept with.

"He keeps wanting me to put out," Rachel said, allowing Santana to apply fresh red polish to her nails. "I keep telling him I'm not ready, but I can tell that he's getting impatient."

"You know my advice: Do it quick and he'll love you forever," Santana replied.

"Half the guys you sleep with are just conquests for you." Rachel rolled her eyes.

"True, but they pass me every day and tell me my ass is fabulous." Santana smirked. "I am a needy woman, Rachel. I need their attention or I will shrivel up and die a bitter old woman."

A knock came at the door and it opened to reveal Santana's mother, who held out the house phone.

"Rachel, there's someone here for you," Mrs. Lopez said softly. Rachel hesitantly took the phone and Mrs. Lopez went back downstairs.

"H-hello?"

"You got the wrong guy, Rachel. Poor, poor Jesse, all alone and innocent in a jail cell. I'll remember this next time I decide to kill you." Rachel hung up and started hyperventilating. Santana rushed to her side and patted her back to soothe her.

"Girls, you have a visitor." Mrs. Lopez knocked again and from behind her appeared Joel, who waved. "Leave the door open a little."

"Mrs. Lopez, you have no worries about me corrupting these lovely ladies," Joel said, walking into the room. "Like your daughter, I play for the other team." Rachel, who was beginning to relax, chuckled a little; Joel charmed adults but was—as he puts it—a royal pain in the ass to everyone else. Mrs. Lopez smiled and closed the door.

"What are you doing here?" Santana asked, watching Joel warily from her spot next to Rachel.

"Well, unlike most people, I do not have many friends and therefore have to go annoy everyone else until someone lets me stay," he explained, sitting on the floor between Rachel and Brittany. "Jesse and Blaine weren't home and Puckerman—I don't even want to know what he's doing. Besides, I heard what happened and wanted to support you, Rach." Rachel smiled and hugged Joel.

"Thank you, Joel," she whispered.

"No problem," he replied.


	4. Chapter 3

_**A/N**_: This took longer than I expected it to, but it's here now. Also, there will only be a few scattered songs throughout; not as many of most of my work.

* * *

Rachel, flanked by Santana and Joel, walked into McKinley High the next morning only to find everyone staring at her.

"Just ignore them," Joel whispered. "Everything's cool. No need to make a scene." He turned to a group of popular students. "Why don't you go back to your Ferraris and mani-pedis?" One jock started for Joel, but his girlfriend pulled him back.

"So much for not making a scene," Santana muttered and Rachel cracked a small smile. "Richardson, relax." She pulled Joel back. "Let's just get to homeroom without a fight breaking out." Santana walked into the room just as Rachel heard someone.

"Hey, Rach." She turned to see Jesse, who looked as if he hadn't slept all night. "Y-you know I didn't do it, r-right?"

"Take a few steps back, St. James." Joel inserted himself between the two. "You're not laying a finger on her."

"I'm her boyfriend, Richardson," Jesse snapped. "Back the fuck off."

"Joel, it's fine." Rachel's voice was soft. The short boy looked at her a little sadly and stepped away. "Go save me a seat between you and Santana." He went into the classroom, looking a little downtrodden. To Jesse, she said, "As much as I want to believe you, Jesse, the person on the phone said that I don't put out. Only you would know that... unless you told someone."

"Rach, I..." Jesse was unable to finish his sentence.

"I think we need some time apart." Rachel bit her lip, trying to keep down the lump in her throat. "Just let me figure things out." She turned and walked inside, just barely missing the teacher, who was arriving.

* * *

"Hey, Rachel." Rachel was sitting outside during free period, fiddling with the necklace Jesse had gotten her upon their one month anniversary as a couple. She looked up to find Joel, who didn't seem to know what expression to use at that moment.

"Shouldn't you be in chemistry right now about to blow something up?" she asked, smiling at him softly.

He chuckled and sat beside her. "Test review day. No, it's just that I saw you come out here and wanted to make sure you were okay."

Rachel took a deep breath and straightened up; she and Joel were around the same height. "We've been hanging out a lot recently and I've never gotten around to saying this, but... I'm sorry for what I said to you when you auditioned for Glee club."

"It's fine, Rach." Joel shrugged. "You're right. I _am_ an obnoxious off-key pain in the ass. It's not the first time I heard it."

"You know, when you're not being snarky, you're actually a really great guy. I know you're gay, but any girl would be lucky to be with you." This made Joel blush. He chuckled and hugged Rachel.

"I don't know what's going on with your beau, but if he really is behind this stupid _Scream_ rip-off, he's a total dumbass. Girls like you deserve to be treated like a princess." Joel knew this was a lie, because Rachel and her self-righteous attitude usually got on his nerves, but it made her smile. "While we're on that other topic, I've been practicing. I know you'll recognize this.

"_Mother said, straight ahead_

_Not to delay or be misled_

_I should have heeded her advice_

_But he seemed so nice_

_And he showed me things_

_Many beautiful things_

_That I hadn't thought to explore_

_They were off my path_

_So I never had dared_

_I had been so careful_

_I never had cared_

_And he made me feel excited_

_Well, excited and scared._"

"Wow, you actually have been practicing," Rachel interrupted before he could go any further. Joel beamed before looking down at his worn-out sneakers.

"You know I would protect you from anything and anyone, right? If Jesse harasses you anymore, I'll take care of it, okay?"

"I'm just wondering this, but after all the times we bickered during glee club, why are you being so nice right now?" Rachel watched the boy in curiosity.

"Honestly, I've always had reservations about Jesse and—" He trailed off for a moment. "Despite everything, you are the closest I've ever had to a best friend." Rachel smiled gently and embraced Joel, who hugged back.

* * *

"Hey, Jesse!" Jesse turned and saw Joel walking towards him.

"What the hell do you want, Richardson?" Jesse folded his arms across his chest, looking down at the short boy.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier," Joel said. "Your relationship with Rachel is indeed none of my business..." Jesse nodded, wondering where he was going with this. "And I wanted you to know that if you hurt her, I will end you."

Jesse scoffed and shook his head. "Are you threatening me? Because if you are, I suggest you shut your trap before you get hurt."

"I'm looking out for her, asshole," Joel hissed, stepping closer to Jesse, their chests barely touching. "She's my friend and I will not let you or any other guy terrorize her."

"Wow, that's deep, Richardson," Jesse taunted. "You give that little speech before?" He pushed Joel against a locker and bent down to his level. "Listen to me and listen good. Don't get in my way or you will fucking regret it."

Joel was unfazed by this threat and only stared at Jesse, a smirk on his lips. "You know, Jesse, I used to think that you were just a douchebag who possibly had Rachel's best interests in mind, but now I realize that you are a douchebag who cares for no one except himself. Stay the hell away from us." He slapped Jesse's face harder than intended and walked off, turning back briefly. "You know, you're a decent actor. Try stammering less." Jesse watched after him, rubbing his cheek, making a mental note to make Joel pay for this.

* * *

"Hey, Rach," a voice called. She turned to see Blaine running over to her. "I heard about what happened. I don't know if anything I can say would be of any comfort." Blaine shifted his books and looked at her.

"It's okay, Blaine," she shrugged. "Honestly, the only person who managed any comfort today was Joel. I can't trust Jesse right now. I don't know if I'll ever be able to again."

"You know why Joel is so charming to you, right?" After a moment, he added, "Well, most of the time." Rachel quirked an eyebrow. "He likes you. He's jealous of Jesse."

"What are you talking about? Joel's gay."

"That's the lie he uses to get close to you." Blaine didn't like Joel; he only tolerated him because he was friends with Rachel. "I've seen him flirting with girls. I overheard him talking to Jesse."

"Wait, he was talking to Jesse about me?" Rachel looked at Blaine suspiciously.

"Yeah." Blaine nodded. "He was telling Jesse that he was in love with you and wanted Jesse out of the way. That's why he made all those calls to you."

"What the—? He wouldn't do that."

"You really think he wouldn't? He watches all those movies about serial killers and psychopaths. I wouldn't be surprised if he turned out to actually be one." Blaine did in fact overhear Joel and Jesse's conversation, but Jesse was his friend and he wanted to be rid of Joel. "I'd be careful around him."

* * *

Sebastian sat at his computer, mulling over who would be nuts enough to revive a killing spree made popular by a movie series. He knew Rachel's circle of friends pretty closely, except for the boy who had joined them only about two months ago. Sebastian searched the records for Joel's name but only came up with basic info. There was no data on his life before moving to Lima. He turned to one of the other deputies.

"Hey, Kiehl, could you help me out with something?" Chandler Kiehl looked up from his paperwork, adjusting his glasses.

"Sure, Sebastian, what is it?"

"You still got those keys for the private records?" Chandler nodded. "Can I borrow those for an hour or two?"

Chandler looked uneasy. "I actually can't let you borrow them, but I can go with you. What file are you looking for?"

"Joel Richardson. There's nothing specific on him in the computer. I'd like to know why."

"Joel Richardson's record is sealed, Sebastian. No one's allowed to see it. Not even Murphy. Why? You think he has something to do with the Rachel Berry case?"

Sebastian shook his head. "I don't want to think so, but he just seems so secretive. I have this feeling that something's up with him."

* * *

_**Songs featured**_:

-_I Know Things Now_ (_Into the Woods_) - Joel


	5. Chapter 4

_**A/N**_: Yeah, this is officially the longest chapter I've ever written. Hope you guys enjoy it.

* * *

Rachel walked into glee club that afternoon where almost everyone attempted to console her in some way: Quinn gave her a necklace with a cross dangling on the end; Sam did his best series of celebrity impressions; Blaine tried to hug her but she wouldn't allow anyone to touch her. Mr. Schuester came into the room and announced the competition for Sectionals.

"I know it's the last year for some of you, so I'm allowing you all free reign over setlists," he said. Everyone looked at one another, wide-eyed. "The competition for this Sectionals are Aural Intensity and the Dalton Academy Warblers." No one noticed Joel turn red at the mention of the Warblers.

"Oh wow, so many great gay jokes just came to me," Santana said, grinning. Blaine gave her a look and shook his head. Jesse walked into the room, giving everyone present a silent nod before sitting next to Blaine.

"So what'd I miss?"

"Hold up, free reign means you're not going to try and brainwash us with some Journey song, does it, Mr. Schue?" Joel asked. Everyone looked over to see him sitting with the band. "Because as inspiring as it sounds, '_Open Arms_' is far from capable of being sung by anyone in here." A moment later, he quickly added, "No offense."

"He's right," Artie spoke up. "If we did that, we'd need a male lead who can take on those high notes." A few other people nodded and murmured their agreement.

"Who the hell even asked you?" Blaine snapped, glaring at Joel.

"Whoa, Anderson, what'd I do to initiate this week's hissy fit?" Joel put his hands up in surrender.

"You know exactly what I'm taking about, _Joel_, if that's even your real name!" Blaine stood up. Joel snorted; he was just slightly taller than Blaine and knew that Blaine was all talk.

"Blaine, calm down." Jesse put a hand on the curly-haired boy's arm. "Don't start something with him. We don't know what he can do."

"What the...? Is it your time of the month, Blaine?" A few of the girls snorted with laughter. "You know, every week, there's some stupid issue you oh-so-suddenly have and no one hears the end of it until you get what you want, which I'm sure we are all sick and tired of." A few murmurs of agreement came from this. "I honestly do not know what you're on about this time, but if this is over some number of solos that you didn't get, get the hell over it." Jesse had to wrap his arms around Blaine's middle to stop him from lunging at Joel.

"You're the one who's been harassing Rachel and you just won't admit it!" Blaine shouted and everyone came to a stand-still. Rachel shut her eyes and covered her face as Santana and Quinn put their arms around her.

"_What_?" Joel was looking at Blaine as if he'd suddenly grown two heads. "Pardon my language, but what the fuck makes you think I would do that? If this is about that insane delusion that I'm into—"

"You're always talking about serial killers and psychopaths like in your movies!" Blaine snapped, cutting him off. "_Natural Born Killers_ is your favorite movie and I've seen you re-watching the scene of Mickey and Mallory killing her parents over and over on your phone. You once said that if you were a serial killer, you'd be _both_ Mickey and Mallory Knox."

"Yeah, as a joke, you fucking moron! Sure, I'm mentally unstable, but—" Joel stopped, realizing what he'd just said. Jesse released Blaine, who stood with a triumphant look on his face, while everyone else stared at Joel, eyes wide in fear. "I— I don't— It's self-diagnosed— Rachel, you don't really think that I would— I'm not a bad guy. I just made a lot of bad decisions." Joel grabbed his bookbag and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"He wouldn't—" Quinn whispered.

"It seems possible that—" Tina looked up at Rachel from her spot.

"He's a nice guy, a little snarky, sure, but—" Mike murmured. Rachel only looked at the door Joel had exited.

* * *

"Yes, thank you very much," Sebastian said to the clerk. She'd initially refused to show Sebastian the folder that contained Joel's file, but relented when he told her that it could be a major breakthrough in a case. He drove back to the police station, the folder on the seat beside him. Pulling into his parking spot right outside the station, he hurried inside and pulled Chandler into an interrogation room to examine the file.

"Born in Denver, Colorado on July eighteenth, nineteen-ninety-four," Sebastian read. "His parents were Desmond Richardson and Diane Carruthers, both born and raised in Los Angeles. They moved to Denver in 'ninety-three when his job required the move. He was a contractor, she was a housewife."

"What do you mean, 'were'?" Chandler asked, chewing on his lower lip.

"They died five years ago, when Joel was twelve. They were driving at night, in the snow when a truck hit a patch of ice and collided with their car," Sebastian continued. "It says here that Joel was already living on the streets two months prior to their deaths. A Child Protective Services officer learned from him that he was kicked out of the house and subsequently disowned for telling his parents that he's gay."

"That's so sad," Chandler whispered. "Was he taken into any kind of care?"

Sebastian shook his head. "No. Reports here say that he skipped town after the CPS officer talked to him. He hitchhiked with a family of five heading for the Kansas State Capitol. The parents tried to drop him off with a state trooper, but he disappeared again. He showed up in Columbus in two-thousand-and-seven."

"What happened to him? Did he go to school or anything?"

"Says here that a large number of people witnessed seeing him go in and out of the back alley of the gay bar Scandals, most of the time an older male with him. He was selling himself." Sebastian wrapped an arm around Chandler's shoulders. "I've seen some pretty fucked-up stuff in this job, but I can't even imagine that: a thirteen-year-old boy willingly allowing older men to have their way with him, for money or not."

"I can see why this was sealed," Chandler murmured.

"In two-thousand-ten, he enrolled at Dalton Academy in Westerville. He paid his own tuition for two years." Sebastian thought back to his time at Dalton and realized that he'd crossed paths with Joel at least once. "I remember the rest of that chapter of his life. He was kicked out after that scandal about three months ago involving the sex parties. I never took part in it, but I sure as hell recall the boys that were. The seniors that led in the parties, Joel beat the shit out of all of them. He was trying to protect this kid, whose name escapes me, one who'd taken the most abuse from the upperclassmen."

"And what about him at McKinley?"

"He showed up at McKinley only two months ago," Sebastian finished. "I remember meeting him after one of Rachel's get-togethers. He seemed so... well, not full of energy, but he seemed lively. Full of snark and a bit of a demented sense of humor. Knows a lot about movies, especially his preferred genre of horror."

"You don't think he's capable of committing these crimes, do you, Sebastian?"

"I don't know, Chand. I really don't know."

* * *

Rachel sat in the empty choir room when she heard a ruckus from outside. She stood on a chair and peered out the window to see someone in the same type of robe, their face obscured by the hood, dragging two students out to a gray van parked close to the school. She recognized one of the victims to be school blogger Jacob Ben Israel, the other was a redheaded boy she'd seen but she didn't know his name. They didn't look dead, but both were unconscious and a trickle of blood poured from a cut on their heads.

She got down and ran out into the hallway, where she found Sam and Quinn, who were talking at her locker.

"I need your help, come on," she said quickly. The two blondes looked at one another and followed Rachel outside. "Which one of you can drive?" Quinn pulled her car keys out of her bag and the three of them got into her car. "Follow that van," Rachel instructed.

"Is this about the killings?" Sam asked as Quinn pulled out of the parking lot; the van was headed towards the stoplight.

"Yes," Rachel said. "We're going to find out who's behind this."

"Shouldn't we be sensible and call the cops or something?" Quinn asked, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for the car in front of her to move. "I mean, if we follow whoever's driving the van to wherever they're going, how much do you want to bet we're going to get caught and tortured or killed or something?"

Sam looked between Quinn and Rachel, wide-eyed. "Rach, you don't think that Joel—" Rachel clamped a hand over Sam's mouth.

"Sam, it's not Joel," she said. "Yes, he talks way too much about his horror movies and everything, but he's not the kind of guy who would go around killing people for pleasure... At least, I don't think he would."

"Rachel, I agree with you on him talking too much, but no one knows anything about before he came to McKinley." Quinn drove along, staying a few cars' distance from the van. "I'm not accusing him of anything or agreeing with Blaine's overreacting about it, but we can't rule him out as a possible suspect."

"I always liked him," Sam murmured. "He and I watch a lot of movies. He knows a lot—and I mean, _a lot_—about all kinds of movies, not just horror."

"Shit," Quinn cursed under her breath. A traffic jam stopped them, the van about three cars in front of them. "Well, since we're going to be here a while, Rachel, Sam, how'd you guys first meet Joel? I mean, I just met him through glee club, but it seems like you two know him on a much more personal level."

_**FLASHBACK**_

Rachel had just entered homeroom when she saw a boy not much taller than her standing beside Mrs. Carvallo. She slid into her seat beside Jesse and the two smiled before turning their attention forward. It was then she noticed that the boy's right arm was in a sling.

"Class, today, we have a new student," Mrs. Carvallo said brightly. The boy looked bored, his eyes taking in the classroom and its inhabitants. His eyes refocused to the floor when the teacher said his name. "This is Joel Richardson and he's come to us from Dalton Academy in Westerville."

Rachel quirked an eyebrow and shared a look with Jesse. Both had the same thing in mind: if the new boy had been a Warbler and if he were sent to spy on the New Directions. Jesse looked down and sent Rachel a text. Rachel pulled out her phone and read:

"_He looks like he'll try to audition. ~J_"

Rachel chewed on her lower lip and replied.

"_If he does, we won't say a thing. Just let him admit it if it's true. ~R_"

They looked back up and Joel sat in the open space on Jesse's other side.

"Hey, I'm Jesse." Jesse turned to Joel and extended his hand. Rachel looked at her boyfriend suspiciously. Jesse's ego was through the roof and usually introduced himself to people with his full name and an ever-growing list of his accomplishments.

Joel's eyes went from Jesse's hand to his blue eyes. "Joel," he said, watching Jesse warily.

"What's with your arm in the sling?" Jesse asked and Rachel groaned. Jesse lacked a mental filter; therefore almost everything he thought, whether it be mean and/or straightforward, he said it out loud.

"That is none of your concern," Joel said without looking up from his notebook. "And it'd be in your best interest if you and your so-called swagger would stay out of my way." Jesse blinked; no one had spoken to him like that before. He was used to people sucking up to him, but this new kid just stood up to him without a second thought.

"You—"

"Mr. St. James, be quiet," Mrs. Carvallo ordered, her usually kind ways suddenly strict. Jesse shut his mouth and looked at Rachel, who tried to suppress a smirk.

_**END FLASHBACK**_

"He came to glee club that afternoon and auditioned with some song called _Garden of Love_," Rachel said. "He came to the party that weekend, remember?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "That's where we got to talking."

_**FLASHBACK**_

"This is amazing!" Blaine shouted, clearly drunk. Rachel rolled her eyes and watched as Brittany and Artie sang _We R Who We R_ onstage in her dads' Oscar room.

"Hey, Joel!" Blaine stumbled and ended up in the brunet's lap. Joel had been sitting off on a couch in a corner since he arrived. "What's up?"

"I'm not good with social gatherings," he said softly, chewing on his lower lip. "You, on the other hand, seem to be having the time of your life."

"Yeah!" Blaine drank from the bottle he'd swiped from the counter. "Want some?" Joel shook his head. "C'mon, Joel, you can't just sit here in the corner the whole time! Loosen up and have fun!"

"As much as I condone underage drinking and debauchery, me getting drunk is far from a good idea." He shifted arms, the one in a sling on his lap supporting Blaine's weight, the other laid across Blaine's chest..

Blaine pouted and held the bottle in front of Joel's face. "Blaine, I said no." He gingerly moved the bottle away.

"God, why do you have to be so uptight all the time?" Blaine grumbled. "You strut around like you think you're better than everyone else. You're just like the rest of us, Joel, except maybe a little more crazy."

Joel's jaw tightened and he pushed the curly-haired boy off his lap. "Look, Blaine, you're drunk and you need to find someone else to lean on. Now go." Blaine scowled and stumbled off in search of someone else while Joel leaned back.

"Drink?" A hand offered him a cup. He looked up to see Sam smiling at him. "It's Coke, I promise." Joel smiled and took it, scooting over and allowing Sam to sit beside him. "Don't worry about Blaine. He can be a real asshole sometimes, but he's actually a pretty good guy."

"Not around me." Joel sipped his soda. "Feels like he hates me for some reason. Same with Jesse."

"Okay, well, I know why Jesse would be upset, but Blaine... I have no idea." Sam put an arm around Joel and leaned in, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Don't tell anyone I told you this, but Jesse's jealous because you've been getting more solos than him and he's been screwed with this psychotic belief that you're into Rachel."

"Oh, that," Joel scoffed. "Yeah, I've heard people talking." He looked at his cup. "Well, I guess now's a good time as any to tell them."

"Tell us what?" Jesse asked. The room had stopped and everyone was staring at Joel curiously. "That you're a girlfriend-stealing psychopath?"

"Jesse!" Rachel hit his arm. "Joel, I'm sor—" He put a hand up.

"It's fine," he said calmly. "Trust me, it's not the first time I've been accused of stealing a girlfriend and I'm sure it won't be the last." He got up onstage and sighed. "I know what most of you think of me. At one point or another, I've been called a spy, a homewrecker, the list goes on, but what I'm trying to say is that I am neither of those two I listed. Yes, I came here from Dalton Academy, where I indeed was a Warbler, but that part of my life is over and I really do not want to get into it. As for the rumors..." He took a deep breath.

"_I'm walkin' through life in nature's disguise, yeah_

_You laugh at me and you criticize_

_'Cause I'm happy, carefree, and gay, yes, I'm gay_

_Ain't no fault, it's a fact, I was born this way, yeah_

_Now I won't judge you, don't you judge me_

_We are the way nature meant us to be._

"If that song excerpt wasn't enough, I can say it. I'm gay. There's no changing that. I'm not interested in Rachel like that. She's my friend and that's all it will ever be."

_**END FLASHBACK**_

Quinn finally pulled onto the next street and looked around. The van was gone. "Shit," she cursed again. Rachel and Sam looked at one another and sighed.

* * *

_**Songs featured**_:

-_I Was Born This Way_ (Carl C and Jimmy Somerville) - Joel

_**Songs mentioned**_:

-_Open Arms_ (Journey)

-_Garden of Love_ (_Meet the Feebles_) - Joel

-_We R Who We R_ (Ke$ha) - Brittany and Artie


End file.
